Fixed one oil leak from oil cooler. Now I think it's leaking from the main seal

Maybe. But how would the oil end up on top of the engine from there?
Too late now but it's better to look while the engine is running.

 

Not really. Fins on the cooler often get bent.

 

One thought is to check round the fan , the oil gallery plugs in that area on T4 s are said to sometimes pop out ..

 

Jeff's VW Shack Bristol (Busy Bee estate, Crewe's Hole Rd)

 

Behind the bike sheds at 8pm, as usual ?

 

Might be bit late what with the excess of oil up mi back end

 

I just gave the cooler a blow and covered the other hole. It definitely has a leak at the top. Must be blowing oil up and then oil is getting out from the gaps and around the spark plug/ HT lead hole in the tin. Just annoying that I bought the 1600cc cooler by accident haha

 

Congrats on finding the issue! Patience and persistence strike again, woohooo

 

I have installed the new cooler and I got new seals.

It's bloody leaking but I'm pretty sure it's now coming from the seals. I did it all up then ran it still leaking then I tightened it to no luck.

On my old engine I'm sure the old seals I had were domed on the cooler side with a "washer" side on the engine but all I can find is "washer" on both sides. Did I just imagine it.

Is there a trick to stop it leaking

 

The double stepped type definitely fit Type 1 coolers where the stepped part drops easily into a recess in the oil gallery or a recess around the hole in the cooler.

If you have a smaller hole without a recess on one side (engine) you will need a seal that has a flat that side.

 

https://www.customandcommercial.com...VnywSK88jcbGKdPYGluTSFHrXlygkwHgaAkAIEALw_wcB

That's the cooler and seals. I have a type 4 1700cc are they all correct

 

That’s the correct cooler and seals.

If the surfaces are clean and no sealant is used it shouldn’t leak - unless the seal is over compressed. New coolers may need fettling to obtain a good fit and may require spacer washers between the cooler and the crankcase. There should be bosses on the cooler mounts that ensure the correct seal crush is applied and it shouldn’t be possible to tighten it further once the nuts are torqued up.

 

Good, so those are the same as the T1 coolers. There should be space for the wider part of the seal between the cooler and the metal surface it is mating with.

If it is still leaking it may not be the cooler seals but something else delivering oil from on top of the engine like the oil pressure switch leaking or not sealing to the engine case.

I can remember tracking down a leak on one of my engines , in the end I took the tinware off and started it and used the minute or so before it even starts getting warm at idle to search around for the little spray of oil.

 

Type 1 and Type 4 coolers are different, the seals are the same but I’ve noticed that there are different seal materials being sold, I use silicone seals and have never had a problem. https://www.coolairvw.co.uk/product/021117151asil/

The cooler should have inbuilt spacers that allow the seal to compress slightly but not distort excessively. Domed seals should not be used.

EDIT: Judging from the price and colour the Megabug seals are probably silicone. Make sure the sealing faces are spotlessly clean with no scratches and check the cooler has the spacer bosses. If it leaks there is something wrong (obviously) and overtightening won’t stop it leaking.

 

I have just ordered a new oil pressure sender. Does anyone know the size of them so I can buy a long socket

I undid the cooler earlier today cleaned it. I got another new set of seals. Tighten it right up. Then took it out for 5 mile drive. Oil went from top line on the dipstick to the bottom one.

 

The pressure switch should be 24mm, some are 26mm and a few aren’t hex and need a 12 point socket.

Are the cooler seals leaking or is the oil disappearing somewhere else?

 

On my bus, that was either a pinched rocker cover gasket, or a bit missing from a piston. Even with a crack in the engine block with a small jet of oil, it went further than 5 miles..

Type 4 engines do pop oil gallery plugs too, but I believe that happens mostly in front of the fan.

 

I definitely think it's coming from the left hand side. It's dripping mainly from the oil filter and heat exchanger. It is also spraying in the engine bay so must be being blown by the fan

 

take a look at https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=664839

pictures on second page of thread show locations.

 

I think I've solved it fingers crossed.

I found it was leaking at the end of the dipstick. It was running down the tim and into the fan. I used fabric tape and to make a seal fingers crossed it'll help